The Address and Reasons of Dissent
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relinquish the pursuits of ambition, which, from the nature of things, is
not to be expected. If the people part with a responsible representation in
the legislature, founded upon fair, certain and frequent elections, they
have nothing left they can call their own. Miserable is the lot of that people whose every concern depends on the will and pleasure of their rulers.
Our soldiers will become Janissaries, and our officers of government Bashaws; in short, the system of despotism will soon be completed.
From the foregoing investigation, it appears that the Congress under
this Constitution will not possess the confidence of the people, which is
an essential requisite in a good government; for unless the laws command the confidence and respect of the great body of the people, so as to
induce them to support them when called on by the civil magistrate, they
must be executed by the aid of a numerous standing army, which would
be inconsistent with every idea of liberty; for the same force that may be
employed to compel obedience to good laws, might and probably would
be used to wrest from the people their constitutional liberties. The framers
of this Constitution appear to have been aware of this great deficiency—
to have been sensible that no dependence could be placed on the people
for their support: but on the contrary, that the government must be executed by force. They have therefore made a provision for this purpose in
a permanent standing army and a militia that may be objected to as strict
discipline and government.
A standing army in the hands of a government placed so independent
of the people may be made a fatal instrument to overturn the public liberties; it may be employed to enforce the collection of the most oppressive taxes, and to carry into execution the most arbitrary measures. An
ambitious man who may have the army at his devotion, may step up into
the throne, and seize upon absolute power.
The absolute unqualified command that Congress have over the militia may be made instrumental to the destruction of all liberty, both public
and private; whether of a personal, civil or religious nature.
First, the personal liberty of every man, probably from sixteen to sixty
years of age, may be destroyed by the power Congress have in organizing and governing of the militia. As militia they may be subjected to fines
to any amount, levied in a military manner; they may be subjected to corporal punishments of the most disgraceful and humiliating kind; and to